1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a condenser of the type having a receiver tank formed integrally with the condenser to constitute a portion of a refrigeration cycle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A condenser formed integrally with a receiver tank is known from Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 213954, for example. The known condenser includes an extruded section member constituting, as an integral unit, a body of the receiver tank and a header tank of the refrigerant outlet side of the condenser. A refrigerant flowing into a header tank of the refrigerant inlet side of the condenser is fed through tubes to the header tank of the refrigerant outlet side in which the refrigerant is guided upwardly and then takes a U-turn at an upper part of the header tank. Then the refrigerant is guided to fall down toward a lower portion of the body of the receiver tank.
With the receiver tank thus constructed, since the header tank of the refrigerant outlet side of the condenser and the body of the receiver tank are formed by a single member, it is difficult to form by punching tube-receiving holes used for firm connection of one end of the tubes with the header tank. Another problem is the difficulty in applying a brazing material needed for brazing between the tubes and the header tank.
Furthermore, the conventional condenser has a structure in which the refrigerant takes only one path as it flows from the header tank of the refrigerant inlet side to the header tank of the refrigerant outlet side. Accordingly, it does not meet the desire that the refrigerant takes plural paths so as to improve the heat radiation effect.
In the above-mentioned condenser with integral receiver tank, the gaseous refrigerant is kept at an elevated temperature under an elevated pressure, and as it flows through the tubes it gives off heat to air flowing around fins in a direction perpendicular to the fins disposed between the tubes. The gaseous refrigerant is thus changed into a liquid refrigerant of a low temperature and a high pressure. In the case where the refrigerant takes a U-turn several times, the refrigerant contains a large amount of a hot and compressed gaseous component flowing through a flow chamber disposed adjacent to the receiver tank. In this condition, the liquid refrigerant of a low temperature flowing through the receiver tank is very much affected by heat.